Backstory

Quick Movelist

Command Normals

Forward Kick

+

Special Moves

Taskforce Upper / Coup de Vent

+

Scramble Snatch

+

Tornado Throw

When Close, +

<EX> Grand Rafale

+

<EX> Daikyo Burning

+

Boost Power : Shining Guard

Dodges into the background for a short moment. Retains momentum from whatever move you cancelled it into, meaning it can be used as a ghetto roll from front and back dashes or runs. Has additional followups :

Flash Chop

Crack Shoot

Chariot Tackle

Stun Dipper

Transformation Additions

In addition to the basic capabilities : Hunter Chains & +1 Air Action, this character gains

Attacks from this character now return any Maximum HP damage done as Hit Points

Normal attacks upgrade to do Special Move damage on block

Health Recovery rate is improved

"Bet Ya Can't Take THIS~!"

Transformed, In Air, +

Kuenzan

Transformed, In Air, +

<EX> "Bet Ya Can't Take THIS~!" With Cruel Attack Followup

Transformed, In Air +

Supers

Detailed Movelist

Character-Specific Thoughts

This is a character that has functionally been in the works for a long time. I've always wanted to have a more "offensive" grappler to face off with the "defensive" grappling of a Zangief type, and Abel had a lot of the qualities for which I was searching. Unlike your standard grappler, whom is always more at home when they are in your face, this character is designed to have a lot more tricks that work better at a slightly longer range. They are more comfortable being at mid range than their peers, as a large chunk of their movelist is designed around having room to maneuver around attacks and counter with devastating damage. The weakness of this style is that they are very weak at long distances. Unlike Zangief, whom commonly has a way or two of just plain negating damage at these longer ranges, the "proper" solution for this character always revolves around getting further in. At max distance they can be pretty easily picked apart and shut down, so their goal is to move further in quickly and with as little damage taken as possible.

Moveswise, we have the following :

Forward Kick comes directly from Abel. Its a stretched front kick whose key attributes are its long forwards range and its unique ability to be dash-cancelled on hit or block, allowing the character to move in or out seemingly at will.

Taskforce Upper is a low ducking move that finishes with a huge uppercut to a prospective opponent's chin. Button used determines the forwards distance that this move travels, though the main thing here is the super low profile that it provides this character. Both versions launch a hit opponent into the air, with the Heavy version both launching higher and being a fair bit safer on block due to its increased pushback. Unless attacked extremely early in its animation, however, sweeping attacks stop both versions pretty cold.

<EX> Grand Rafale is the major reason why this character loves longer range. It is MUCH faster on the draw than the normal specials, does a fair bit more damage, and is actually invulnerable on its startup, meaning that this is your preferred punish in a lot of situations. Especially useful while Transformed, since you can easily follow up with an air combo of some sort

After a hit Taskforce Upper, Scramble Snatch should be your immediate next play. Both versions have the character leap up into the air, grab any airborne opponents nearby, and send them crashing down to the ground for damage a character-length away. Both versions have a small amount of invincibility, but the Heavy version goes up with a starting knee that makes it inherently more reliable in combos or in situations where you can anti-air with the knee alone. Not fully invulnerable through the active frames of the knee, however, so it CAN trade, with the user losing out on the majority of this move's damage. Opponents caught are put into a soft knockdown, so the next step is to guess their wakeup option.

Tornado Throw is what will get this character immediately identified as a Grappler. Does only moderate damage to the opponent, but causes a hard knockdown right next to the grappler, putting the opponent in the right place for more "fun" on their wakeup. Light version has really short range. Heavy version's range is slightly longer due to actually reaching further forwards, but also gives it a slight delay. Heavy version leaves the opponent slightly further away than the Light. Light version is a Capcom-styled throw, so it cannot be comboed into, whereas the Heavy version can be.

<EX> Daikyo Burning causes the character to rush forwards a short distance, blades first. Counts as an unblockable hit-throw, so it can be used to end combos and does significantly more damage than the normal Tornado Throw does. Also has MUCH longer range than the normal throws, due to the extended blades. However, this leaves you a significant distance away from the opponent on hit, as well as only causing a soft knockdown after damage is dealt. As a result, this move will most likely be more useful to end pressure rather than to continue it.

This character's Boost, Shining Guard is based on an odd effect I've witnessed from the Game Boy Advance version of Battle Arena Toshinden while using its dodge mechanic. Because it maintains any running momentum, a quick or tap tends to give it enough momentum to get around attacks or special moves on its own. When used in conjunction with its followups, this move can be even more of a threat to potential opponents than the rest of his moves. Each followup is designed for a specific purpose or use situation.

Flash Chop is actually more of a surprise move for this than anything. It is the only Super Cancellable followup, and causes a special Stun state on NORMAL hit that will affect the opponent long enough that in theory a lot of things become possible off of it, which makes it the most directly threatening of the Shining Guard followups. However, it has MUCH shorter range than the others, meaning that an aware opponent has to be tricked into actually getting into its range unprotected. Can be used to negate 1 hit of a fireball, and as such is projectile invulnerable up through a good chunk of its active frames.

Crack Shoot, for when your opponent doesn't want to get serious about blocking high. They really should, given the counterhit ground bounce that this move can garner. In general this move is at its best when it is being used to cross the screen unexpectedly. Invulnerable to Low attacks.

Chariot Tackle is the fastest of the followups, and covers a fair distance with a rushing attack that knocks the opponent down. Can wallbounce on counterhit. However, has horrible recovery if whiffed, so expect your opponent to scout ways to do just that. Also no special properties other than being purely fast means that you CAN just get jabbed out of it for decent damage.

Stun Dipper is the safest of the attacks on block or whiff. Its sliding properties let it go underneath a fair variety of moves, it hits Low, and it causes soft knockdown on hit. No invulnerability whatsoever for this move, so if you get guessed, you can still get pretty badly hurt.

Honestly I've been waiting for a long LONG time to find an excuse to give some monster of a character the ability to steal health from their opponent as a Transformation power. Once the Macuahuitl was suggested as a potential signature weapon for this character, it just seemed entirely too obvious to me, and is designed to make this character even MORE of a monster if they are able to grab a lead first. Suddenly small differences can become insurmountable due to sheer power of chip.

"Bet Ya Can't Take THIS~!" is from Kanji Tatsumi of Persona, and is one of the major features of being in the air with this character. It moves him slightly upwards in the air before coming crashing down with a hit-throw that can deal decent damage and cause soft knockdown. Because of the slight "bounce", it can occasionally be great for dodging prospective anti-airs and ending air combos safely, so now the character has a reason to get into those skies.

<EX> "Bet Ya Can't Take THIS~!"with Cruel Attack hits the opponent so hard with its final strike that they become airborne again. Just in case they thought the madness was over for them. Great both for hunting high damage as well as resets into pressure. All in all a move that just won't quit.

Kuenzan is for those opponents that want to challenge you in the air. A wise decision, if they weren't quite literally jumping into the blender. The character spins like a sawblade, dealing multiple hits as they come down from the skies. Heavy version causes him to hop up-forwards slightly in midair before coming down, the Light version just comes down with whatever momentum he already had. Can in theory combo off of this, though it does little hitstun on each attack.

[DM] Soulless causes the character to rush forwards extremely rapidly in a hit-grab, then starting a set of attacks that ends in a hard knockdown. Light version moves faster, although the Heavy version has invulnerability on a good chunk of its forwards rush. Either version makes a pretty good punish against unsafe moves near you, and leaves the opponent knocked down a middling distance away.

[DM] Creeping Death doesn't immediately strike terror in the unwitting opponent… unless they are foolish enough to stand too close or attack. The character seemingly walks forwards unguarded for a second, a slight shadow trail being the only indication of danger. Opponents that attack are immediately countered with a brutal series of slashes, ending with them a character length behind the now-bloodstained user, crumpling to the ground. Halfway through the walk the user also generates a secondary, grab hitbox that will suck in any hesitant idiots for the full combo. Does lots of damage, is the best super to cancel into the Limit Break, but takes a bit of work to fool experienced opponents into.

[LIMIT] Secret Mirage is a case of a simple, but effective limit. The character just starts slashing blindly forwards at the opponent, with each slash leaving a projectile "echo" a fair distance in front of him that also hits. Simple, brutal, and effective. Does a fair ton of damage, but only has invulnerability up to the first hit, so if your opponent isn't in immediate range, then you are clearly Doing It Wrong.